An infrastructure for apprenticeship schemes was developed in the London and West Midlands Government Office regions and 35 apprentices were recruited and started the two year scheme in January 2006. The apprentices are based with an employer and attend college part time.
Over the two year apprenticeship they will work towards an NVQ and continuing development award for substance misuse at levels 3 and 4. These awards offer a common framework for enhancing the skills of workers who enter the sector from a variety of backgrounds with existing qualifications and skills, and a CPD framework for all workers.
Skills for Justice have developed a national toolkit and guidance for employers, learning providers and apprentices which explains how to implement the apprenticeship scheme. This includes adverts, job descriptions and terms of reference. This is available as a PDF document on the Skills for Justice website.